This webzine is online since August 2010 and is completely dedicated to Electronic Music (EM) identified as the Berlin School style and its derived. You will find interviews but mostly reviews of ambient, sequenced and symphonic EM with a glimpse on other related genres. You have questions or want your music to be reviewed? Please read the 123 FAQ section attentively. Bear in mind the main purpose of this Blog. So welcome in and I hope it will guide you into the wonderful world of EM.

One of EM’s beauties is its capacity to exploit the minimalist structures while adding other parallel, ambient, rhythmic or/and melodious structures. Spread in time, Long Distances is the fruit of long night-recording sessions, excepted for Metropolis, where Keller/Schonwalder plunges into deep luscious sequential processions. Brilliant sequences which are subdivide, uncross and become entangle in a fine rhythmic disorder or in a delicate hypnotic obsession. Sequences which are wrapped of by an interesting synthesized fauna where hybrid solos are next to breezes of mist and cosmic sound effects. Welcome to the very nice crossroads of long minimalist structures filled of latent evolutions. Welcome to Long Distances, the romantic and enchanting musical universe of Detlev Keller and Mario Schonwalder. A universe unique to this nostalgic duet which continues to charm in the universe enchanting and bewitching world of Berlin School.A rangy dark breath introduces "Long Distances". A long hollow breath, crossed by spectral and iridescent waves, criss-crosses a long sinuous corridor and converges quietly on the first sequenced stammerings where a fine sequence emerges from cosmic tones to skip weakly in a sound fauna to composite tones. Streaks, strata and cosmic sound effects, morphic layers, and crystal clear keys cavorting in the footprints of sequences cover this slow procession. Mysterious and claustrophobic, "Long Distances" pursues its slow and long minimalist ascension by wrapping itself of its melodies and parallel atmospheres on a movement from which subtle variations are flooded by fine white noises, wandering and celestial choirs, pads and mists of an iridescent mellotron as well as by brief synth solos. Ghostly solos, filled of Tangerine Dream aromas, which bring us unmistakably back towards the enchanting and mysterious minimalist structures of Klaus Schulze and the Berlin School genre of the end of the 70’s era. These solos come and go on this slow hypnotic procession, as well as on Metropolis, of which the last minutes are fed by breaths and metallic sound effects, bringing a dramatic crescendo which pours into the first modulations of "Metropolis". Recorded live, this long 41 minutes track is inspired by the cult movie from the German director Fritz Lang. Following the tetanised mist of "Long Distances", piano notes come out of the abyssal mists to draw a soft melody which delicately leaves its notes over an iridescent and twisted wave. Little by little this tenebrous intro clears a warmer web with this piano which draws hesitating melodies in a heavy pearlescent drizzle and warm cottoned pads, while metallic hoops collide and flitter nervously. We are in the 10th minute mark and "Metropolis" wakes up to the sound of heavy industrial pulsations to structure a rhythmic which will be in constant rebellion between its hypnotic tempo and its anarchy reflection. Undulating threatening streaks cover the reverberations of these pulsations, plunging this long piece towards nervous sequences which skip restlessly beneath mysterious nocturnal vocalizes. Sequences intersect and stamp in the furrow of their echoes before embracing a hyper-active phase and pulsing frenziedly in a stunning disorder. These sudden sequenced awakenings are the cornerstone of this long track which presents a bewitching sequential movement of which the first structure is backed by pulsatory arrhythmic sequences. Sequences sometimes fluid and sometimes wild weave polyrhythmic cadences below the wings of good solos as calculated as improvised, in the vein of these long hypnotic solemn masses of the Berlin School. These pleasant and spectral solos free cosmic tones as the amplitude of the movement tergiversate whereas electronic percussions are grafted to sequences, amplifying even more the rhythm and its disorder which flows under superb ghostly solos, ochred lamentations and metallic zombie voices. "September Moods" puts an end to this surprising sequenced procession and closes Long Distances with a fine sequential movement which waddles under the notes of a good bass line and suave solos to tones of a solitary saxophone, before embracing the morphic breaths of a mellotron mist which pushes crystalline stars out of ears reach. But this sequential movement returns little by little, just to revive this sequenced flame which is the enchanting premise of this very beautiful Keller & Schonwalder opus. You like long sequential processions fed by fine harmonious approaches? You like minimalist structures which are skilfully dressed of a superb musicality? Do you miss these long hypnotic structures proper to Berlin School? Keller and Schonwalder’s Long Distances is quite indicated to you. It’s an album amazingly bewitching where sequences and percussions shape rhythms as hypnotic as wild under iridescent mist and solos from synths to hybrid tones. An album which will please for sure to fans of Keller/Schonwalder, as well as those who enjoy these long mesmeric structures of Berlin School.Sylvain Lupari (2009)Cet article est disponible en
Français sur le site de Guts of Darkness, dont je suis chroniqueur sous le nom
de Phaedream:
http://www.gutsofdarkness.com/god/objet.php?objet=14707If you want to know a
bit more about Keller and Schonwalder and hear MP3extracts, one can visit Manikin
Web site at this address:http://www.manikin.de/en/main.html

Members of this Blog

Qui suis-je

Bonjour!
My name is Sylvain Lupari from Joliette in Quebec (Canada). I’m known as Phaedream all over the Internet since the beginning of 2000 where I started to write reviews. In 2005, I joined the French Webzine Guts of Darkness and on August 2010 I created a Blog, Synth & Sequences, which has reached the point of 1 000,000 visitors on February 2017 where I also wrote my 1354th review. In French and in English, I wrote more than reviews of EM albums.
This Blog is a huge success and reference about the music which sets my mind free over the years. Too many chronicles, so I have to split this Blog in several sections. Robert Schroeder is the first to welcome my thoughts on Webpress.
So, welcome to this part of my Blog Synth&Sequences which is devoted to the music, the tones and sounds of Aachen’s own Robert Schroeder.
Here you will find informations about his career and discography and latest news as well as deep reviews about his music, his albums.
My only wish is to guide you through his impressive career and may I suggest to visit regularly my Blog Synth & Sequences for more updates on EM.